CC wrote:I disagree, I am a J5 fan. Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks I guess.If I were to recommend some of their songs "Freedom," "Remember His Name," and "Concrete Schoolyard" would be 3 of their better tracks.

I hear you, but I like their debut EP much better than Quality Control. "Concrete Schoolyard" is a great tune, and I like "Action Satisfaction" for its deft word play. They also give a good live performance.

Speaking of live performances, is there no love for The Roots on this board? As far as live shows go, they are unparalleled (come on--they actually play instruments!), but their cds are tight too. Do You Want More?! is a must-have album for any hip hop aficionado.

Other artists I haven't seen mentioned:

I love Blackstar, but I don't think Mos Def's two solo albums can be overlooked. He is easily my favorite mc out there today; totally unique sound, and he has stuff to say that's worth listening to (and the cat can ACT too).

Speaking of live performances, is there no love for The Roots on this board? As far as live shows go, they are unparalleled (come on--they actually play instruments!), but their cds are tight too. Do You Want More?! is a must-have album for any hip hop aficionado.

Other artists I haven't seen mentioned:

I love Blackstar, but I don't think Mos Def's two solo albums can be overlooked. He is easily my favorite mc out there today; totally unique sound, and he has stuff to say that's worth listening to (and the cat can ACT too).

And one more plug for A Tribe Called Quest (the group that hooked me on hip hop to begin with)

I've seen The Roots livea couple of times, and I wasn't blown away by them. I love their music, own all of their CDs, and consider Illadelph Halflife, Do you Want More, and Things Fall Apart all classics, but the live show left a lot to be desired for me. I don't even really know how to explain my criticism...it's like they were more interested in showing that they were good musicians than they were in playing good music. I don't know...it all seemed very self-serving.

The Blackstar album is great, I think I mentioned that in an earlier post, but if I didn't then I am definitely remiss. I have tired of Mos Def's music a little over the years, but Black on Both Sides still holds up well. It just seems that his whole style is a schtick. I actually liked The New Danger more than most people I have talked with about it, but it seemed more like the Black Jack Johnson album that he always wanted to make but never got a chance to than it did another Mighty Mos album. He has a great song called "Get to Steppin" that is only available (as far as I know) on Hi-Tek's Hi Teknology album. If you haven't heard it you should check it out.

I honestly don't understand what people see in Dilated Peoples. To me they are one of the most overrated "underground" groups out. Although I haven't heard their latest album, which is supposedly their best, but as far as I'm concerned I'll be happy if I never hear another Dilated crapfest in my life.

Typical Cats are dope and definitely deserve more recognition than they get. If you're into Asian hip hop artists I have to assume you've heard Lyrics Born, if you haven't you need to check for him ASAP. Later that Day, Same S**t Different Day, and Latyrx (his collab with Lateef) are all great.

And yeah, Tribe can never get enough credit. To this day they remain my favorite all time group.

warrick95 wrote:So my question is this...to the guys like DK and Art that are obviously experts at this sort of stuff...who are some underground artists that have a good compromise between good lyrics and good hooks/beats?

A few names that fit this description and come immediately to mind are Atmosphere, Brother Ali (it's already been mentioned, but it's worth mentioning again: Shadows on the Sun is one of the five best albums of the last five years), Cee Lo, Josh Martinez, Murs, and Cannibal Ox

I have tired of Mos Def's music a little over the years, but Black on Both Sides still holds up well. It just seems that his whole style is a schtick.

I don't see why you say it's a "schtick"--to me he just has a unique style, one that's grown on me over the years. My favorite tune off Black on Both Sides is "Mr. Nigga" with Q-Tip. I also just love everything that Mos stands for; saw him in "Top Dog/Underdog" (along with Jeffrey Wright) and loved that. Loved him in "Bamboozled". And I have utmost respect for his vision of reclaiming rock and roll as an African American art form.

I honestly don't understand what people see in Dilated Peoples. To me they are one of the most overrated "underground" groups out. Although I haven't heard their latest album, which is supposedly their best, but as far as I'm concerned I'll be happy if I never hear another Dilated crapfest in my life.

Personally, I like The Platform. Dilated isn't necessarily one of my favorite groups lyrically, but they have some of the most original, catchy beats I've heard. They get the b-boy stamp of approval for sheer danceability.

And as far as Asian American hip hop goes, Jin's much ballyhooed first album was commercialized crap, but his second record, The MC Propaganda has more of an independent/underground feel and isn't bad.

Also, hip hop aficionados should definitely check out Dave Chappelle's Block Party if you haven't already. I saw it the weekend it opened, and it's one of the most enjoyable films I've seen in a long time. The concert footage itself is fabulous, especially since they assembled a veritable all star lineup--Kanye, Mos, Talib Kwali, Dead Prez, Common, The Roots, and (reunited for the first time) the Fugees, among others. Just an all around feel good movie that makes you feel proud to be even tangentially associated with a culture so rich. Loved it.